What does it mean when you have a fever with excessive sweating, and what should you do?
Sep 15, 2023
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Introduction
Fever refers to an elevated body temperature. Excessive sweating during fever may be caused by perspiration, medication effects, calcium deficiency, acute gastroenteritis, pneumonia, or other factors. Patients are advised to receive symptomatic treatment. During fever, the body generally cools itself through sweating, which helps lower body temperature, thus resulting in profuse sweating. Patients can drink moderate amounts of light salt water or oral rehydration salts to prevent electrolyte imbalance.
In general, fever refers to an elevated body temperature. Excessive sweating during fever may be caused by perspiration, medication effects, calcium deficiency, acute gastroenteritis, pneumonia, or other factors. Patients are advised to receive symptomatic treatment. Specific analyses are as follows:
1. Perspiration
During fever, patients typically dissipate heat through sweating to achieve a cooling effect, which can result in profuse sweating. Patients can drink moderate amounts of light salt water or oral rehydration salts to prevent electrolyte imbalance.
2. Medication effects
When experiencing fever, patients often take antipyretic medications for treatment, such as ibuprofen capsules or acetaminophen tablets under medical guidance. These medications promote sweating to lower body temperature, leading to excessive sweating. This is a normal phenomenon and usually does not require special treatment. However, it is important to change clothes promptly to avoid catching a chill.
3. Calcium deficiency
Calcium plays an important role in the nervous system and participates in nerve signal transmission. Insufficient calcium may affect normal nervous system function, potentially causing abnormal nerve signals that disrupt the body's thermoregulatory center, resulting in fever and sweating. Patients may take calcium carbonate tablets or calcium pantothenate tablets under a doctor’s supervision.
4. Acute gastroenteritis
Acute gastroenteritis is usually caused by infectious pathogens. The body mounts an immune response against these pathogens, including fever. During fever, the body cools itself through sweating. Patients may be treated with medications such as bismuth potassium citrate capsules or montmorillonite powder under medical guidance.
5. Pneumonia
Pneumonia is commonly caused by bacterial or viral infections. It leads to lung inflammation and fluid accumulation, affecting breathing. The body may attempt to cool itself through sweating to alleviate discomfort caused by breathing difficulties. Patients may be treated with medications such as injectable sodium penicillin or enteric-coated erythromycin tablets under medical supervision.
If fever symptoms occur, patients should seek timely medical attention to determine the underlying cause and receive targeted treatment under a doctor’s guidance.
